This easy recipe uses a spice blend to deliver delicious Jamaican jerk chicken in a fraction of the usual time. Pair it with mango avocado salsa for a fresh, flavorful, healthy meal!
Hello hello! It’s Monica again here from Nourish and Fete. I know you’re going to love today’s recipe because it checks all the best boxes: quick, simple, healthy, and crazy delicious.
If you haven’t had Jamaican jerk chicken before, get ready and get excited. This stuff is downright alluring. Sweet, spicy, smoky–it’s a lot of flavor in a simple package. And it pairs perfectly with a fresh, summery mango avocado salsa.
What sets this recipe apart is the simple preparation. Most jerk chicken recipes call for a lengthy marinade, but here’s the secret: you can get incredible flavor in a fraction of the time using an everyday jerk seasoning as a dry rub. Meaning you can make this, start-to-finish, in less than 30 minutes — no advance prep required.
What you need to make jerk chicken with mango salsa
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts: Thin-sliced breasts cook more quickly, whether you prefer to grill or sauté them.
- Jerk seasoning: You can easily make your own jerk seasoning blend, which is nice if you want to control the heat level and tinker with the flavor, but there are many great store-bought versions, too.
- Mango: The star of the salsa! Vibrant, fresh, naturally-sweet mango perfectly complements the complex flavors of jerk chicken.
- Avocado: Can’t beat the creamy texture and it adds heartiness to the salsa.
- Bell pepper: Any color that you have and like is great. It adds a terrific crunch.
- Jalapeno: Add a little or lot, depending on your love of heat!
- Red onion.
- Cilantro: A sprinkling of the fresh herb goes a long way, but if you’re not a cilantro fan, just leave it out.
- Kosher salt, lime juice, and olive oil.
Tips and tricks
- Make or buy jerk seasoning in bulk. Jerk seasoning, also known as Jamaican jerk seasoning, is commonly used on chicken, but it’s also amazing on shrimp, fish, or veggies — especially veggies thrown on the grill. Whether you make your own or use store-bought, you won’t be sorry to have extra in the pantry. It’s a quick and easy shortcut to add incredible flavor to anything!
- Employ the salsa for double duty. Mango avocado salsa is a delicious snack on its own, so make extra and set it out with some chips for an appetizer. It does taste best when freshly-made, but if you really want to get ahead, prep everything except the avocado, store the mixture tightly-covered in the fridge, and dice and add the avocado just before serving to minimize browning.
- Round out the meal. While this is delicious on its own — and naturally healthy and low-carb — if you want a little something extra, consider serving with rice, bread, or tortilla chips.
Jerk Chicken with Mango Avocado Salsa
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons jerk seasoning
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced or pounded thin
- 1 avocado, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
- 2 cups chopped mango
- 1/3 cup chopped red onion
- 1-2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- juice of 1/2 lime
Instructions
- In a small bowl, stir the jerk seasoning and olive oil together into a thin paste. Rub evenly over both sides of the chicken breasts.
- Grill or saute chicken for 4-6 minutes on each side, or just until it hits 165 degrees F and is no longer pink in the middle. Remove and set aside to rest briefly.
- While chicken cooks and rests, prep the salsa. Combine avocado, red pepper, jalapeno, mango, red onion, cilantro, salt, and lime juice in a medium bowl. Toss gently to mix.
- Serve individual chicken breasts with generous spoonfuls of salsa. Garnish with extra cilantro and lime wedges, if desired.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
